Wedding cinematography is a very challenging business. The responsibility to safely/artistically capture such an important day is surely not for everyone. The number of ways to approach wedding cinematography comes close to the number of “newly married couples”… that is why it was truly encouraging to meet and talk to Alejandro Calore, who is a master at filming weddings. Carefully listening to his personal story and valuable advice in the interview above. If you are in this competitive business it might help you fine tune your strategy and workflow.
For those who are interested in reading rather than watching the video, here is a summary of what Alejandro had to say:
“Taking a collection of beauty shots during a wedding won’t cut it” – Like in any other serious project, you have to think “story telling” and according to that story, compose and structure your shots.
When it comes to equipment, Alejandro is not “chasing technology” – He is pretty much relying on his trusted Canon 5D Mark II, various lenses and a tripod. That’s it! No drones, sliders, rigs and such. One man, one camera, one point of view.
His secret for a successful business: “Don’t copy others’ style” – Find your own way to use “an audio-visual language” and creatively tell the story of that important day the best way you can.
Alejandro is a believer in “what comes in, goes out” – Heavily manipulating the image during post-production is not his thing. “Technicolor’s Cinestyle” is his preferred “in-camera setting” and as you can see in the sample films, the “flat image” became his artistic signature.
You might be a bit concerned regarding his “out of focus” approach, but if you take your time to watch the above interview you will find out why he does that.
Below you can watch a “pre-wedding piece” and a “wedding ceremony” sample work from Alejandro:
At the end of the day, when a couple has to choose their wedding cameraman/editor, it all narrows to a personal taste. Alejandro is bravely challenging all those who are leaning towards technology and forget that nothing beats great cinematography and good content.
More info about Alejandro and his work can be found under the following links:
realnshort.comvimeo.com/realnshortfacebook.com/Alejandrocalore
Special thanks to Adrian Mahovics for helping to arrange this interview. Photos by Damiano Errico and Eugen Bernath
If you are a wedding cameraman/camerawoman/cinematographer, why not share your working experience with us in the comments? We would love to hear what you say.